1,460 research outputs found
Rodriuez-Arguelles MC, Belicchi errari M, Bisceglie F, Pelizzi C, Pelosi G, Pinelli S, Sassi M
No full textSASSI and the MSC: How effective have they been with reaching consumers in Cape Town and raising their awareness
No full textThe 'sustainable seafood movement' is over 20 years old, and has made use of numerous methods in an attempt to educate consumers about seafood. In South Africa, there are two such campaigns: the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI). This study aimed to investigate the awareness of consumers at major retail outlets in Cape Town of these initiatives, and to link awareness with seafood consumption behaviour. It used face-to-face surveys, which were conducted at all times of the week in outlets of three major supermarket chains located at five middle-class shopping centres. Aspects investigated included consumers': recognition of the MSC and SASSI; preferred seafood species; production method(s); and favoured sources of seafood. The data were analysed by means of chi-squared (χ2) analysis. The MSC label was recognised by slightly over a tenth of the consumers and SASSI by just less than half. Overall it was found that shoppers were more concerned about the quality and value for money, than the type, sustainability and size of their seafood. Consumers who shopped at the retail outlets which have a working relationship with SASSI did not show a higher awareness of SASSI. Even the consumers who were the most aware of SASSI and/or the MSC, and indicated that they considered sustainability a factor when making seafood choices, still favoured species from fisheries the sustainability of which is classified as problematic. The results point to raised awareness, yet unchanged purchasing behaviour
Air flow rate thermal control system at low pressure drop
No full textLow pressure drop thermal Mass Flow Controllers are generally thought to fulfill needs concerning the realization of a dynamic reference gas mixture generator for accurate gas analysis. A small air flow rate at low pressure drop must be controlled in a stable and precise way in the generator. True operative pressure drop limits, set point reproducibility, calibration needs and flow rate stability during operations were investigated for a low pressure drop thermal Mass Flow Controller. The flow rate bias due to late calibration and flow rate short-term stability were measured and discussed. The Allan method was used to calculate stability during operation. Calibration uncertainty, bias for late calibration, stability and set point reproducibility were composed to calculate the total uncertainty of the flow rate as a function of the operation time. Results show that it is possible to operate below the target uncertainty stated for a dynamic generator of gas mixtures down to 100 Pa pressure drop. Stability gives the main contribution to total uncertainty at very short operation times, while calibration uncertainty gives the main contribution to total uncertainty at normal operation times. The calibration uncertainty at 0.1% is low enough to assure the target uncertainty for operation times over 10 s. Daily verification of calibration enhances the reliability of the measurement. An accurate voltmeter is necessary for the reproducibility of the set point
Uncertainty analysis of the diffusion rate in the dynamic generation of volatile organic compound mixtures
No full textThe measurement of volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration changes, in the range of
10 ppt–1ppb, is essential in several applications. The World Meteorological Organization has
identified a set of VOCs that are critical because of their long-term instability. The
measurement of such changes demands generation of reference mixtures at a high accuracy
and stability level. The dynamic preparation of gas mixtures based on diffusion is a suitable
way of generating accurate reference mixtures, particularly of unstable VOCs. Diffusion rate
and dilution gas flow rate uncertainties are the main contributors to the overall VOC
concentration uncertainty. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the uncertainty of
the diffusion rate. Stress is laid on the advantages offered by a modified measurand equation.
The validity of this analysis and the modified equation has been confirmed experimentally.
Temperature variability and mass difference uncertainty make the main contributions to the
uncertainty: a 0.01 ◦C variability results in a 0.2% uncertainty. The new measurand equation
provides both a better indication of the systematic effects at a narrow temperature variability
and a more realistic calculation of the uncertainty. The modified equation enhances calculation
of uncertainty at the low diffusion rates needed to generate very low VOC concentration
mixtures
Metallactus octoguttatus D. Sassi 2019, n. comb.
No full textMetallactus octoguttatus (Burmeister, 1877) n. comb. (Figs 12; 29) Griburius octoguttatus Burmeister, 1877: 65; Clavareau, 1913: 90 (catalogue); Blackwelder, 1946: 640 (catalogue); Agrain et al., 2017: 57 (annotated checklist). Metallactus albopictus Chamorro, 2013: 201, fig. 8; 204, fig. 26 (taxonomic study). Types. Burmeister did not mention the number of specimens under study but two specimens housed in MACN match the original description. The typification has been made as follows, in order to stabilize the epithet. LECTOTYPE (by present designation): ♀, pinned, not dissected // “ Parana Jan.” [green label, printed] // “ Griburius octoguttatus Burmeister 1877 Syntypus ” [red label, handwritten] // “ Griburius octoguttatus Burmeister, 1877 LECTOTYPUS D. Sassi des.” [red label, printed] // “ Metallactus octoguttatus (Burmeister, 1877) D. Sassi det. 2019” [white label, printed] // (MACN). PARALECTOTYPE: 1 ex. sex undet. // “ Griburius octoguttatus Burmeister 1877 Syntypus ” [red label, handwritten] // “ Griburius octoguttatus Burmeister, 1877 PARALECTOTYPUS D. Sassi des.” [red label, printed] // “ Metallactus octoguttatus (Burmeister, 1877) D. Sassi det. 2019” [white label, printed] // (MACN). Type locality. Paranà (Entre Ríos, Argentina). Further material examined. ARGENTINA: Saenz Pena Chaco (2, BMNH); Estancia la Noria Rio San Javier Santa Fè G. E. Bryant (14, BMNH); S. Antonio Reimoser (2, NMV); T. N. Formosa Loc. Gran Guardia XI.1953 (2, NHMB); Chaco de Santa Fé Las Garzas borde du rio Las Garzas 20 Km l’O d’Ocampo E. R. Wagner 1903 (1, MNHN); Resistencia Balzan 188[...] (1, MSNG); La Merced Reimoser (1, NMV). PARAGUAY: San Luis Reimoser (1, NMV); Dep. Cordillera, Pirareta 12/ 15.X.2010 S25 29’ W56°56’ Leg. U. Drechsel (1, UDPC). Distribution. Argentina, Paraguay. New to Paraguay. Diagnosis. A Metallactus of small-medium size. It belongs to a subgroup of four species (M. albopictus, M. octoguttatus, M. madefactus and M. abditus) distinguished by a pronotal V-shaped yellow spot just in front of scutellum. Among these species, M. octoguttatus is characterized by the shape of the aedeagal median lobe, the apicoelytral spots generally separated from each other, and the completely yellow clypeus. Also, the median longitudinal spot on the pronotum is generally shorter and stouter than in M. albopictus, particularly in males, while the pronotal lateral spot is more salient along the posterior margin (C-shaped). The species is also more robust than M. albopictus and shows a lighter pronotal punctation, approaching more to M. abditus in these two last characters. M. madefactus can be distinguished for the different shape of the apicoelytral spots and the more extended yellow color on frons. Overall, in the studied material the dorsal color pattern of the four species of this subgroup almost always seems to offer enough information for the diagnosis. However, the chromatic differences might not be adequate dealing with a larger number of specimens. For example, in some of the 14 specimens from Estancia la Noria (BMNH) the yellow elliptical spots tend to expand and coalesce, masking the “typical” habit of M. octoguttatus. Furthermore, a specimen, male, from Formosa has mostly yellowish legs, together with part of the ventral surface. The aedeagal shape could therefore prove to be necessary in many cases for a correct identification. Description of male. Habitus in Fig. 12 a–b (LT). BL = 3.9–4.1 mm, BW = 2.4 mm, PL = 1.3–1.4 mm, PW = 2.2 mm. Interocular distance 12.8–14.6% of BL. Head black with two almost trapezoidal yellow spots along upper section of inner ocular rim, coalescent along midline; clypeus yellow as well. Labrum brownish. Vertex quite dull, almost bare with sparse rather coarse punctures to almost impunctate. Frontoclypeal area with sparse pale setae and quite coarse punctation. Mid-cranial suture short, well impressed so that surrounding surface distinctly swollen. First five antennomeres yellowish, sublucid, the subsequent ones totally darkened, dull and more diffusedly setose. Pronotum black with lateral margin and outer part of anterior and posterior margins covered with a single Cshaped yellow spot; a median V-shaped (almost elliptical in one paratype) yellow spot close to posterior margin just in front to scutellum; a smaller elliptical median one, yellow as well, close to anterior margin. Pronotal shape relatively short-elliptical with lateral margins thin, barely visible from above, regularly curved with maximum width slightly behind the middle. Posterolateral impressions obliterated. Surface moderately lustrous with scattered, feebly impressed punctation, slightly sparser and shallower on disc. Scutellum black, moderately raised, apex truncated in a straight line. Finely setose and minutely punctured. Elytron surface black with four yellow spots lined up along suture. First spot, rounded, beside scutellum; second one, rounded as well to moderately elliptical, at middle; third one, transverse, on apical clivus; fourth one, smaller and roughly rounded, at apex. A further C-shaped, yellow spot surrounding humerous and extended on outer part of anterior margin and epipleuron. Elytral outline parallel-sided to sides slightly convergent posteriorly, only weakly flattened on disc. Postscutellar area very weakly raised. Humeral callus moderately prominent, impunctate. Surface moderately shiny with shallow punctures arranged in irregular rows, perceptible on elytral apex too. Intervals not raised. Pygidium yellow, with a brownish spot on apex, smooth, matt, with sparse, shallow punctures and whitish setae. Inferior parts of thorax totally black to widely yellowish, covered with sparse setae and shallowly punctured. Prosternal process coarsely punctured with long setae, Abdominal ventrites black with large yellow margins to almost completely yellow, shallowly and sparsely punctured, with sparse setae. Legs totally black to largely yellowish on femora and basal section of tibiae. Median depression on fifth abdominal ventrite shallow, matt and almost bare. Posterior margin of fifth abdominal ventrite perceptibly notched. Median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 12 c–e) cylindrical, with smooth surface and apex scarcely separated from the rest of aedeagus, short. In lateral view apex faintly bent ventrally. Hairy dents barely impressed, scarcely delimited, bearing rather short, dense setae. Aedeagal ventral surface not swollen in lateral view, devoid of particular structures. Endophallus (Fig. 12 f–g) with sclerite I well sclerotized with denticle strongly developed, blunt, pointing upwards and barely sticking out laterally. Dorsal spicule rather short, pointed and fairly pigmented. Sclerite II long, regularly bent towards base and gradually tapered towards apex. Arch of sclerite III high, fairly projecting upwards, straight, slender. Apex of sclerite III straight, regularly tapered, fairly expanded on its proximal half, so that the sclerite looks like the head of a grebe. Branches of sclerite IV shorter than sclerite III in the folded-up structure, perceptibly curved, with slightly asymmetrical, microdenticulate apex and surface moderately sculptured, consisting of small wrinkles. Female. BL = 4.8–5.3 mm, BW = 2.9–3.4 mm, PL = 1.6–1.8 mm, PW = 2.6–2.9 mm. Interocular distance 14.6–17.0% of BL. Fifth abdominal ventrite in females with quite large, transverse, shallow pit. Bottom of pit bald, matt, impunctate but covered with tiny wrinkles. Vasculum of spermatheca (Fig. 12h) slender, scarcely pigmented with straight proximal branch fairly and asymmetrically swollen at base, long distal branch and long, pointed apex markedly bent downwards. Ampulla fairly pigmented, slightly shifted on dorsal side of vasculum. Duct insertion and sperm gland insertion barely distinct. Duct uniform in size, slender, coiled with coils rather thick, almost regularly arranged. Distal not coiled portion of duct long, completely straight on its terminal section. Insertion on bursa copulatrix lengthened, straight, barely swollen and well pigmented.Published as part of Sassi, Davide, 2019, Revision of the Metallactus hamifer species-group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae), pp. 201-245 in Zootaxa 4657 (2) on pages 230-232, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4657.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/376387
A latent growth curve modelling approach to seasonal and spatial dynamics of food security heterogeneities in rural Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya
No full textThe increasing complexity of food insecurity, malnutrition, and chronic poverty faced by Sub-Saharan Africa warrants urgent categorisation and tracking of household food security along both temporal and spatial dimensions. This will help to effectively target, monitor and evaluate population-level programs and specific interventions aimed at addressing food insecurity. Traditional longitudinal analysis does not address the dynamics of inter- and intrahousehold heterogeneities within the seasonal and spatial context of household-level food security. This study is the first to overcome such limitations by adopting a multi-group piecewise latent growth curve model in the analysis of the food security situation in a statistically representative sample of 601 households involved in subsistence and cut-flower commercial agriculture, around Lake Naivasha. We considered food security as a latent concept, which manifests as food security outcomes in our primary longitudinal dataset from March 2018 to January 2019. Our analysis highlights the temporal and spatial dynamics of food security and advances new evidence on inter- and intrahousehold heterogeneities in food security across different seasons for the subsistence and commercial farming clusters. These heterogeneities were demonstrated primarily during the hunger season from March to June, and persisted in both the clusters and across months, albeit with different intensities. Moreover, our results indicate the importance of commercial agriculture in achieving food security in the hunger season. Our study suggests the need of a multidisciplinary approach to food security and the introduction of well-coordinated interventions for the development of subsistence and commercial agriculture considering the seasonal and cluster-level specificities
Development of a primary diffusion source of organic vapors for gas analyzer calibration
No full textCOVID-19 income and price shocks effect on household food access in Malawi
No full textThe paper contributes to the scarce literature on the negative effect of coronavirus 2019-induced income and food price shocks on household economic access to food, focusing on Malawi during the first two pandemic waves and using a country representative sample. We find that household income reduction, as explained by income source shocks and health mitigation measures, has a wave-specific and persistent effect on ordinal categories of food security perception. Our evidence supports the implementation and monthly scaling-up of nutrition-sensitive social protection programmes and health measures at the household level to address these adverse effects
Prefazione
No full textPresentazione di questioni essenziali della ricezione del corpus zoologico aristotelico che si delineano nei saggi del volume
Comunità di saperi e paradigma di sostenibilità: l’Osservatorio Sassi come modello di sperimentazione centrato sulla consapevolezza
No full textLungo il percorso per la realizzazione dell’Osservatorio Sassi, lo strumento operativo previsto dal Piano di Gestione del sito UNESCO di Matera, e nell’idea di mettere a punto un Modello per la definizione di Piani Strategici per la gestione del patrimonio culturale paesaggistico in Basilicata, con le attività della Cattedra UNESCO dell’Università della Basilicata ci siamo interrogati su come incentivare e facilitare la partecipazione della comunità e il dialogo sia tra le istituzioni, sia tra queste e i cittadini. Il Piano di Gestione e l’Osservatorio Sassi pongono in maniera prioritaria l’attenzione sulla necessità della crescita diffusa della consapevolezza del valore del sito e della responsabilità relativa alla sua tutela e valorizzazione da parte di una comunità che è custode di un patrimonio che appartiene all’intera umanità. Dunque, consapevolezza come assunzione di responsabilità attraverso la partecipazione e come chiave per armonizzare le scelte, le politiche, le azioni: sono queste le premesse da cui deriva l’approfondimento su ‘comunità di saperi’. Come Cattedra UNESCO dell’Università della Basilicata intendiamo un’idea di sostenibilità centrata sull’unità uomo-natura e sull’unità materia-spirito, e una transizione ecologica giusta, egualitaria e per i popoli, promossa dal basso, partecipata e condivisa. Guardiamo all’idea di sostenibilità come sviluppo di consapevolezza delle comunità, e di autoconsapevolezza delle persone, un’idea di sostenibilità integrale e di transizione ecologica responsabile verso l’insieme, ovvero una sostenibilità che si fonda sulla pace, la cui difesa deve nascere nei cuori e nelle menti delle persone. Come traccia del percorso che vado a sviluppare, sulla base di una premessa sulla questione delle scale dimensionali tra globale e locale, una parte di ragionamento avrà come focus la questione della ‘consapevolezza’, una parte sarà su ‘comunità di saperi’ e su strumenti e strategie per allenarsi a divenire tale comunità, e per concludere porterò uno sguardo specifico alla gestione del sito UNESCO di Matera e all’Osservatorio Sassi come costruzione sperimentale di un modello dinamico
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